Sean scanned the note. His suspicion curdled in his gut and flowed out into his veins in a frustrated temper. Damn.
Over the phone, Cassie had sounded like the perfect woman for his plans. No strings attached. Ready for fun. But hed expected her to keep her word about this weekend. His mistake.
Hed gotten caught at Dillons office in Quantico and hadnt driven into Alexandria, Virginia, until nearly an hour past the time hed arranged to pick her up. He thought his invitation had made everything clear. He was offering her a free vacation at a high-class resort in exchange for whatever she wanted to offer. As long as the other guests believed they were a couple.
He hadnt offered his heart and she hadnt asked for it. But did Cassies easy-come, easy-go attitude mean shed move on to the next man if one date didnt show up on time?
I know its a surprise. The voice of Cassies roommate cut through his brewing temper. She said she did try to call you.
Damn. Now what was he supposed to do? Diego Marquez might walk if Sean couldnt come up with some connection between Justice Rossinis trip to Pleasure Cove and his subsequent retirement. Sean would have a hard time dealing with Alicia Reyess silent tears if that happened. And the San Isidrans wanted answers soon about their ambassadors murder, or theyd send up their state police looking for answers themselves. He had to infiltrate Pleasure Cove Island. Tomorrow. Damn.
You said that already. Im sorry. I know Cassie left you in a bind tonight. But dont hate her. Shes impulsivenot heartless. The roommate tapped the paper in his hand. She did apologize.
Apologize? He glanced up and, standing nearly eye-to-eye, drilled her with the damning look he had in mind for Cassie. What good does that do me?
Surprisingly, the roommate stood her ground without flinching. She told me you werent close, that she was doing you a favor. He watched guilt play over the womans features, overshadowing her confidence. I know its inconvenient, but your feelings shouldnt be hurt.
Inconvenient isnt the half of it. I need a woman. Now. Sean gritted his teeth and swore again. Didnt that sound pathetic?
He tipped his head back and hissed an angry breath through his teeth, disgusted with himself for trusting that his plan with Cassie Kramer would work. Women cant be trusted to go to the line on anything.
Caitlins hands shot up in protest. Excuse me. You got screwed out of one last-minute date. Dont blame the rest of the gender because your timings lousy.
Shes really not here? Sean crumpled the note in his fist and began to stalk through the apartment, searching rooms, checking to see if this was all a lie and Cassie was hiding from him.
Hey!
Wasnt that just like a woman? Leaving when you needed her most. This assignment was all about this weekend. She could have dumped him Monday, no problem. But tonight?
The roomie with the dynamite legs hurried after him, trying unsuccessfully to stop him from looking into the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom.
What do you think youre doing? she demanded, matching him stride for stride. Could I have that key back? I dont think youll be needing it anymore.
She tried to block his path into one pigsty of a bedroom, but he pushed past her. Empty. He crossed the hall and entered a bedroom whose soft blues and tans and wrinkle-free perfection could have come from the pages of a magazine.
He felt her hand at his elbow then. This is my bedroom. Get out.
He whirled around, easily pulling free of her tugging grasp. I had plans.
Somehow hed cornered the woman in the doorway. Shed have to brush against him to move past. But Sean rudely held his ground, letting the soft heat of her body seep into him across the breath of space between them. The faint tang of household cleaner blended with the salt-tinged ocean scent of the woman herself. Shed been out on the water recently. He breathed the observation, in and out, her fresh scent filling his head and calming his burst of anger.
She was tall, just a few inches shorter than himand he was six-two. Her honey-gold hair feathered across her cheeks and forehead in something like a pageboy cut. Only curlier. Sexier. Her gray eyes had darkened to the color of a battleship. And there was definitely a battle waging there. Fire. Fear, maybe. Questions, certainly. But definitely fire.
Plan B took shape in his mind.
He skimmed his gaze down the front of her gray-heather T-shirt. Her breasts were small, barely noticeable beneath the oversize cotton garment. But her hips flared nicely. And those legs Sean swallowed hard and leaned back to scan every smooth, shapely inch. An image of those legs wrapped around his hips, binding them together in the most elemental of ways, sprang into his mind, consuming his body in a flush of instant heat. Now his imagination decided to kick in!
Sean squeezed his eyes shut and focused on controlling the involuntary response. It had been too long since hed had sex. That was all. Not once during the Marquez case. Nor the case before that.
He wasnt a celibate man by nature, but he worked long, difficult hours. He kept company with equally busy fellow agents and criminal lowlifes. When he did run across a woman who charged his engines, hed make a play for her. A few were okay with his Job Comes First motto. Elise had been. At first.
Then the hassle started. She just couldnt let him be who he needed to be. Shed bought him ties and dressed him up for dinner. At first hed used the demands of his job as an excuse to keep things light and fun between them. But somewhere along the line, an emotional bond had formed. And suddenly hed been rearranging appointments to catch an afternoon quickie with Elise. Hed worn her damn ties.
Hed even swallowed his fears and ventured into a jewelry store. Just to look. There were a number of rings well within his budget that looked nice. That spoke commitment.
Hed walked out with something called a tennis bracelet instead. The next day hed gone to surprise Elise at lunch. That was when shed kissed that old friend. In front of him and God and the entire restaurant.
The bracelet was probably still wrapped up in the back of his closet somewhere.
Now Sean understood that his job was the only thing that had never let him down. So thats where his loyalties lay. Women were for fun and nothing moreif they were agreeable. The Bureau was his full-time commitment. That way nobody got hurt.
But his lonesome body sure seemed to be paying the price for that self-imposed ideal.
He slowly opened his eyes, thinking his bitter memories had helped him conquer his bodys desire. But with his head angled as it was he was staring right at this womans breasts. Small, yes, but amazingly responsive. They rose and fell with each quick, deep breath she drew. His own chest expanded in a rhythmic response. Almostnearlynot quite touching hers.
What are you staring at? The womans croaky whisper caressed his ears, but his focus had shifted to the subtle seep of color that washed up the swanlike arc of her neck and stained her cheeks.
Despite her boyish attire and eccentric housekeeping skills, she was a long, tall drink of purely female body. South of his belt buckle, he stirred in response again.
A sexy woman was the answer his body wanted to give. But his rational mind still had control. Barely. How tall are you?